Surplus inventory (e.g., parts that have inventory but no demand) and excess inventory (e.g., parts that have inventory but no current demand) can be problematic for manufacturers as they can cause increased costs and reduced profits. Inventory specialists are individuals responsible for finding new and innovative ways to reduce inventory levels. Tools for shortening the supply chain pipeline and reducing lead times have been the focus of many of these specialists. One attempt at solving the surplus/excess inventory problem involves the development of a build plan for end products that would consume as many of these surplus/excess parts as possible. The build decision has been solved in the past in a manual fashion by investigating individual choices one at a time. Not only is this labor intensive, but when excess parts could be used on several alternative end items, each of which might consume various quantities of other excess parts, the problem becomes too complex for the manual approach.
What is needed is a method of assessing and evaluating an optimal build plan for end products that will consume surplus/excess parts held in inventory with minimal additional purchase requirements.